Most often, the child — a foreigner may have no other basis for acquiring a residence permit in Mexico other than reunification with one of the parents who is already considered a resident or citizen of the country. In other words, first the parent should obtain a residence permit, only after which the child will be able to obtain his residency status (based on unidad familiar). Precisely in this sequence, although sometimes it looks like simultaneously.
But there are 2 exceptions. The child has the right to independently obtain a residence permit through the settlement procedure or as a refugee. When the settlement program was in effect (until May 2025), children were given residence permits based on their own previous entries. When a family applies for refugee status in Mexico, children are given such status (and subsequently permanent residence) regardless of their parents, although they are required to confirm their relationship.
The child is not able to directly obtain resident status through kinship with his brother or sister — Mexican citizen, but only by relationship with a parent.
In this case, the consent of the second parent for the child to register residence in Mexico will not be required — it is enough that one of the parents is considered a resident. However, some particularly meticulous migration service offices (Cancun, Playa del Carmen) are able to ask for notarized consent of the second parent, which is their private initiative.
In Mexico, anyone under 18 years of age is considered a child.
A foreign child always receives the same type of residence permit (temporary or permanent) as his parent, and if the parent — already a citizen of Mexico, then permanent residence. Let us clarify that children born after a parent has acquired Mexican citizenship automatically become citizens.
The only document that a child needs to purchase a residence by relationship with a parent and then to renew the card is — his birth certificate, apostilled and translated into Spanish by an official Mexican translator. The parents' marriage certificate is not required.
Child — A temporary resident of Mexico (Residente Temporal) will receive a resident card with a validity period of:
- first card — for 1 year,
- then it can be extended for 1, 2 or 3 years,
- For children under 3 years of age (at the time of card purchase), the temporary card is extended only for 1 year.
Child — A permanent resident of Mexico (Residente Permanente) will receive a resident card with a validity period of:
- under 3 years of age (at the time of receiving the card) — for 1 year,
- from 3 years to 18 years — for 4 years.
There may be exceptions to these timing rules.
Even if the child has permanent resident status, the plastic card itself still has validity until adulthood. For this reason, parents need to monitor the expiration date and renew their child’s resident card on time. And it is for this reason that it does not make sense for parents who do not intend to live and acquire citizenship in Mexico in the coming years to obtain a resident card for their child — this can always be done later.
The child's residence is tied to the parent's residence. If the parent is unable to renew their resident card and loses their residency status, then the child is unable to renew their card and will also lose their residency status. Further, in all migration procedures in which a child participates, the participation of his parent is mandatory. But at the same time, the child is considered an independent unit, and the process for him is carried out separately from the parent, paying the same rates as for adults. In other words, «residence permit for family» — This is not the case in Mexico, although kinship may apply a 50% discount to some fares.
When carrying out government procedures, the child undergoes them only together with the parent. For example, a child is not able to be registered in the state medical system IMSS if the parent is not registered there.
A conflict between parents or their divorce cannot lead to the child losing his residence. The main thing is that the residence remains with one of the parents and the child lives with him (this is a key condition). However, the other parent can block the child’s departure from Mexico or his registration of citizenship.
When leaving and entering Mexico, accompaniment by one of the parents is sufficient. The consent of the other parent is not required. However, if the child travels alone or accompanied by a third party (including grandmother), a notarized consent of both parents or formatSAM. If the child is 14 years old, and for the airline he is already considered an adult passenger, the Mexican migration service has the right to turn a blind eye to the fact that the child — a non-resident travels alone and without formalized parental consent. But he is capable of not closing it.
Child — A resident can apply for Mexican citizenship only after and immediately after one of the parents has acquired such citizenship (patria potestad). No deadlines for citizenship of 2 or 5 years apply to children. In other words, in fact, the child has the right to obtain citizenship even earlier than after 5 years. At the same time, at the time of applying for citizenship, the child is required to stay in Mexico for 1 year without leaving, and the consent of the second parent is considered mandatory.
If a child received residence before the age of 18, but at the time of applying for citizenship he was 18 years old, he is no longer considered a child, and a different naturalization mechanism applies for him as for an adult. He must live in Mexico for 2 years (for citizens of Spanish-speaking countries) or 5 years from the date of receipt of residence, be absent from the country for less than 180 days in the last 2 years, and undergo naturalization independently and without parental consent.